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2035 Olympics - Light Team - Crusade/Zipline vs Poise/Shiftlock
tf - Friday, August 22, 2014, 7:58 PM ------------------------------------- Another crowd has gathered in the Swordfish, for another team competition. This time it was the generally agile-and-fragile speedsters...and Crusade. Well not everyone fits the theme, and who knows? He may be the key to victory! As the sole representative of the EDC proper in this fight, Poise has a few soldiers in the crowd on her side. One of which produces a little hologenerator that proclaims EDC! in big blue letters. After the third use of it, he is promptly escorted out for being a distraction. Poise hops into her cycle, the hovercraft only sinks down an inch or two at her added weight, then dons her helm. She flicks a switch to activate her loudspeaker, "Don't go easy on me, because I sure won't go easy on you!" A smile forms on her lips, "I'm ready!" It seems that the last match Crusade fought in has dampened his spirits. He's doing his best to stand tall and proud next to Zipline, but he clearly looks uncomfortable with the current task ahead of him. Apprehension and unease are written across his features, his doorwings are angled low and twitching every now and then. His visor is lowered, as if he's trying to use the darkened glass to hide the worry in his optics, but the rest of his body language screams it loud and clear: Here's a nervous mech. Poise sents out a signal, her combat cycle roars up to her side in a moment's notice. This wasn't just an arena battle. It was a chance to show off, a chance to fight for glory and fame. And, of course, a chance to look awesome blowing the slag out of someone else. Zipline would have preferred her opponent be some Decepticon that had it coming to them, but that didn't mean that she was about to go easy on the autobot and EDC members that were chosen to fight against her and Crusade. Metal paws hitting the ground in quick succession give away Zipline's arrival in the arena. She's a little more than a yellow blurr, speeding out of the gate and into the main floor. While she could have just rushed up to the starting zone, she instead makes a long loop around the edge of the arena, skirting the hidden portion of the arena and hyping the audience up. Then she angles around, and speeds right for their starting zone. Claws scrape against the floor as she screeeches to a halt. Her tail flicks behind her, keeping the cheetah's balance even as her momentum threatens to send her toppling head over paws. That wouldn't be a good impression on the audience! Once she comes to a stop, Zip rears back on her hind legs and waves both forepaws at the crowds. She looks far more confident about this entire thing than Crusade, that's for sure. Zipline flashes Crusade a grin. Then when she sees his downtrodden appearance, she swats him in the leg with a paw. "Hey, don't look so glum! At least look like you're ready to kick some aft!" Shiftlock arrives, and... well she LOOKS calm. Inside she's a storm, and someone's gonna take the brunt of it tonight. She doesn't really seem into all this; doesn't pay attention to anything but the immediate surroundings and the battlefield. "I'm here, let's get this over with already," she grouses. Spindrift has arrived. Springer stands off to one side, on the platform set aside for the judges. The Wrecker's arms are crossed as he looks to each side to check for thee entances of the partipants, "I hope you know the rules, Mechs.." He pauses and looks to Poise, dipping his head as he acknowledges the one non-mech, "And lady." He raises his hand and snaps his fingers, the bubble over the middle of the arena shimmering and fadding away, showing that the entire arena has been put to use. A large wooded area covers the east third of the field, a large diseceting across the map, and with looks like a destroyed town occupying the last small part of the arena along it's west side. None of the terrain is so bad that speed can't be used.. but you have to show skill to use it well. "Ladies, Gentlemen and Mechs.. it's time for our next match! Crusade the Kid and Zipline the Feline!, Autobot warriors both! Versus the fiesty Shiftlock and The Lady Poise! Particpants.. enjoy yourselves... WRECK AND RULE!" With that he lowers his hand, and the horn blares to start the match. ROLL: Zipline rolled a 81 ROLL: Shiftlock rolled a 9 <'NEST'> Poise says, "I thought mech was a term for bots who display male characteristics, not all of you. I guess I need to take a better course for Cybertronian etiquette." <'NEST'> Spindrift says, "Think of it as the same way yer species can use 'man'." <'NEST'> Poise says, "I see." <'NEST'> Spindrift says, "And sometimes it's used for your whole speci.. err, wait, yer not one of the humans." <'NEST'> Poise says, "did the green give me away?" <'NEST'> Spindrift says, "Sometimes yer all still kinda easy to confuse. No 'ffense." Bumblebee has arrived. Blast Off has arrived. Cyclonus has arrived. Bumblebee moves north to the Gallery. Bumblebee has left. "That's AWESOME feline!" Zipline shouts up at Springer. But her grin and tone gives away her teasing meaning. Optics blink out briefly when their arena is revealed. Then when they blink back on, they're glowing a little brighter as Zipline's scanners begin to analyze the area. "Hm, bit of cover there in the trees, might make targeting difficult. The village will make it hard to get a good bit of speed." Her tail flicks from side to side. "This fight's gonna take some skills." Zipline grins, showing fangs. "Good thing we got skills to pay the bills, eh Crusade?" Her cannon materializes out of subspace. The weight causes her to sag just slightly. Her hydrolics tense slightly as her systems begin to prime. "Just like we planned, Crusade!" Zipline's cannon glows brightly as it levels not at Poise, but at Shiftlock. And then when the signal goes off, so does her cannon. THWOOM, firing a spinning, armor tearing projectile right at the other transformer. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Aggressive. Combat: Zipline strikes Shiftlock with her Breaker Railcannon attack! -3 You receive a radio message from Shiftlock: You got a plan? "It's complicated, ma'am..." Crusade murmurs quietly to Zipline, but he flinches as Springer announces the combatants to the crowd. Kid? His shoulders slump. The shreds of encouragement that Zipline's pep talk had given him evaporate. He does manage to pick his crushed spirits back up just in time to react when the starting signal goes off. With the resignation of a soldier walking towards assured doom, he pulls his rifle from subspace and takes aim at the green combat cycle across the arena. Combat: Crusade sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Crusade strikes Combat Hovercycle with his Best Friend Rifle attack! -1 Combat: Crusade (Crusade) used "Best Friend Rifle": A Level 3 RANGED attack. Combat: You took 7 damage. Hound has arrived. Hound moves west to the Medical. Hound has left. Shiftlock has a look at the surroundings, while touching her fingers to the side of her helmet briefly. There's a lot of clutter here, and a lot of room to stalk. She wished she'd had time scout the terrain before the event, but hey, even in battle, you don't often get that opportunity. Immediately she's hit by the tape's attack, and she's forced to bring her arms up to cover her torso. She ends up taking most of the brunt to her arms and upper body, shielding more sensitive areas, but the crumbling bits of copper and black are not a good sign. She curses under her breath, anger growing, and goes for what she figures might be the easy meat as she draws her guns and fires. Combat: Shiftlock sets her defense level to Aggressive. Rumble has arrived. Combat: Shiftlock strikes Crusade with her Hurts And Stings attack! Rumble strolls in, and takes a seat up in the stands, somewhere up in the top level. "What in the name of toast and beans?!?!" Poise's high pitched cry of outrage splits the air. The look of indignation on her face is just...absolute. She levels probably the most aggressive, infuriated stare she's ever mustered towards Springer. "Did you just recreate those darn Decepticon attacks on Nebulos here?" Her mouth hangs open in outrage, "How DARE YOU, you Green....so and so!" She sputters out her words, "I've a good mind to wipe the floor with you for this!" She actually points at Springer in an accusatory tone. And then she promptly gets shot up by Crusade. Poise huffs, "I was...erggghh nevermind!" She hits the throttle to her motorcycle and roars into the treeline, fuming. She had intended on shooting up her Bot counterpart...and grumbles as she decides to stick with the plan. She clicks two keys, highlighting Zipline as her target of choice, and then, on a quick turn that'd make the headlines on swoop racing, her chaingun roars as thirty rounds go at the Cheetahbot. Combat: Combat Hovercycle sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Zipline with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! -2 Combat: Drained 2 energon. Blast Off is among those seated in the audience. This time, he brought his OWN bottle of wine, and if any concessioners give him any flak he's planning on giving them the death glare of doom. He's tired of people standing between him and fine wine. He's already got the bottle opened and poured, and is quietly watching. An optical ridge raises at Crusade, and he shakes his head disapprovingly, nor does he have any liking of that feline tape. The EDCer barely registers at ALL. But Blast Off does notice Poise's teammate Shiftlock, and his optics follow her movements. The Olympics are always a good place to study your opponents' moves, and learn more about their strengths... and weaknesses. TPInfo A new announcement has just been posted on +tpinfo about TP/RP: EDC-For-All "YEAH! LIGHT IT U-OW!" Chaingun fire pings against Zipline's armor, leaving a series of holes in her side. "Okay, time to do some wrecking!" Her hydrolics tense, tail flicking behind her. For a fraction of a second it looks like she might bolt straight at Poise. But then the cat lunges off to the side at a near 90 degree angle from the way she was facing. Trees are not Zipline's friends. Trying to run fast through a forest is a good way to get a tree right to the face. But Zipline zigs and zags, weaving through the trees quickly - Albiet not as quickly as she would have liked. But swiftly enough with her cheetah-like acceleration that she quickly circles around through the trees to try and flank Poise. She comes up with claws unsheathed to slash a paw at that hovercycle. But then she's off again, continuing her circle back towards the village. "Better catch me~!" Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Neutral. Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her Catscrach and run! (Punch) attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Punch": A Level 1 MELEE attack. You send a radio message to Shiftlock: erghh sorry, Honestly I really just have the one gun, no special rounds. You send a radio message to Shiftlock: but if your systems get damaged, I can recalibrate you, I'm certified! Crusade frowns as Poise speeds off into the forest - it means one less target to think about for now, but it opens up the possibility of a surprise attack. He turns his attention back to the remaining visible foe just in time to get caught by a burst of gunfire. Some of it scorches his arms, drawing a hiss of pain from him, but his rifle takes the worst of the damage. He quickly stows the lightly smoldering weapon back in subspace, and opts for a change of tactics. He rushes towards Shiftlock and leaps towards her, armblades extending from their compartments as he closes the distance. Sweeping his right arm in a wide left-to-right arc, he attempts to carve into Shiftlock's chestplate. Combat: Crusade strikes Shiftlock with his Armblades attack! -1 Combat Hovercycle is not in a playful mood, whatever Springer's intentions were, they just happened to strike her on a sore spot. She leans to the side, rounding another corner, when Zipline comes right up against her. It's hard to hold a grudge against the cheetahbot, and her scowl softens even as Zipline mistimes her attack. "I don't have to catch you..." She hits the boost, for a...well a boost of speed, then hits the airbrake, to spin around once she enters the clearing, giving her a chance to turn around in a bootlegger reverse, and the added bonus of keeping her back to the destroyed village. "But my bullets, they on the other hand." With decisive action, she flicks up the trigger and opens fire. Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Zipline with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! -3 Combat: Gained 1 energon. Shiftlock grins as Crusade rushes her, and she actually holsters her gun and crouches, getting ready for him. He rushs her and lands a hit on her torso, carving a gash up the black stripe on her chest. "Nngg! Nice one! I've been wanting to see what you can do!" Her arms are over her head, and now that the new Autobot is in close, she clasps her hands together and attempts to slam them both down onto his head. Combat: Shiftlock strikes Crusade with her Two-Fisted Monkey Style (Kick) attack! Rumble notices Blast Off, and he heads down a few rows to go sit beside him. "Hey, whatcha up to?" Springer stands on the judge's platform, arms crossed. He blinks and coughs at Poise's yell, "I wreck things, not build things!" He frowns and looks back at the terrain, as the blueberry's yell does strike a spark with his memories. A audible damn escapes the Wrecker, but he looks back towards the Nebulan, "Was not my choice, did not know what was here. Though if you want to blame me, go for it, I can take the hits." He points towards her opponents, "But best not let them get the better of you if you care to take it out of me afterwards then. <'NEST'> Poise humphs. <'NEST'> Rush says, "That's annoying. The Rush says stop." <'NEST'> Poise says, "oh fiddlesticks to you." <'NEST'> The Rush says, "Yes. Yes, you can. Want The Rush's room number?" <'NEST'> Spindrift says, "Why does he keep referrin' to himself like he's a thing?" Blast Off glances over as Rumble comes up to sit close by. He gazes at the Cassetticon a moment, then actually *deigns* to SHARE his wine with him. He is a fellow wine enthusiast, after all, and they had that wine shop together in Nova Cronum. So the Combaticon pulls out a second glass, pours into it, and offers it to the other Con. "I am merely observing. The Olympics provide a good opportunity to watch one's foes in combat... watch and study them for later use while fighting them." Zipline bursts into the clearing, pulling some foliage after her. And, for a moment, making herself a pretty decent target for Poise's chaingun. More spots show on her armor as she passes through the clearing, but these aren't painted on. Her paws only skip a beat once, but not long enough for her to stumble. But then the cat disappears into the other side of the clearing, and back into the trees. Claws dig into the ground almost immediately, and she turns rapidly. Four paws briefly touch the ground at once, before she runs off again in a wide circle just on the outside of the clearing. Her yellow might not be such a good camoflauge here, but it does make it difficult to keep track of the swiftly moving cat. "You going to lighten up?" One optic remains on Poise. Scanners start analyzing her cycle, analyzing its propultion systems and any weak spots it might have. "Come on, let's give the audience to cheer about!" Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Zipline analyzes Poise for weaknesses. "Yeah, I get whatcha mean. I'd rather be fightin' in them," Rumble admits to Blast Off, "But it's good to see who's good at what an' such. Cause you never know who's gonna end up on your team, the way they're runnin' this thing." He grins at the enerwine offering. "Thanks!" Crusade receives a nice dent in his helm's ridge as Shiftlock's fists slam into it. He backs off slightly, mostly out of respect, not fear of being struck again. "Don't get your hopes up, ma'am," he says, keeping his voice low so that only she can hear. Easing himself into the rhythm of combat helps banish the doubt and worry gnawing at him. He sets his mouth into a grim line and lunges forwards again, this time trying to plow his shoulder into her and tackle her to the ground. Combat: Crusade strikes Shiftlock with his Smash attack! Combat: Critical Hit! Combat Hovercycle grumbles to herself. Okay maybe Springer didn't know, but it still left a sore spot with her. It may have been an accident, but the situation sure didn't help her thoughts. Normally she's right there with Zipline, full of gusto and enthusiasm. And the thing was, the EDCers WERE cheering for her. Still, it wasn't easy for her to just shake it off. She leans forwards, her cannon still firing it's exceptional amount of ammo at a continual burst on Zipline. She shouts back towards the tape, "Geeze, I just..I just don't like this area." All said while rounds keep trailing after Zipline, so much dichotomy going on. Combat: Combat Hovercycle misses Zipline with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! Combat: Drained 8 energon. Shiftlock is plowed into the ground by the new recruit and goes rolling; more of her armor peels off in chunks, exposing vital systems. She's starting to look like an endoskeleton with components and mesh hanging out. (Gasp, does this mean she is 'naked' in front of an audience? guess so. The SHAME.) And yet, she has none. Laughing uproariously she simply transforms right then and there with Crusade possibly getting caught up in the sliding alt-plates. Now a car without a chassis, she revs her engine and tries to roll right over him! Shiftlock crouches and tumbles forward, twisting in the middle as her body compacts rapidly into the form of a Cybertronian Speeder. Combat: Cybertronian Speeder strikes Crusade with her Ram attack! Combat: Critical Hit! Springer keeps his place, quietly watching the exchange of fire, the Wrecker managing to keep his face and stance neutral as he stays impartial to the proceedings. He would point out the terrain is destroyable.. but.. is a judge, so can't say that out loud. Nope, not out loud. Blast Off raises an optic ridge again, this time at Shiftlock and her... er... disappearing act, and there's a slight shaking of his head... but then he returns to looking at Rumble. "I most certainly hope not. I already got stuck with that Autofool Arcee, and it cost me the match." (Never mind that being teamed with an Autobot last year helped WIN him the match.... >_>) "I am fine either way... I will never stand down from a fight, but I have no need to be in one, either. Simply watching and enjoying some fine wine is good enough... for now." A glance back to the arena. "And there are things to learn. I see one of Blaster's tapes is down there... I'm sure you've fought her several times?" Wood shatters and cracks, spitting splinters everywhere as chaingun ammo bursts through trees instead of Zipline's armor. She keeps running, waiting for that second for when Poise needs to stop firing, just letting the trees take the ammo for her. What brave trees, giving their lives selflessly so that Zipline can avoid getting hit! When the weapons fire stops, so does Zipline. Front claws dig into the ground, causing her back end to whip around behind her. Then she lunges out from the foliage at a run straight at Poise, her cannon glowing with a charge. "So blow it up!" She says, helpfully. There's not enough time to get the slug properly spinning, but there is still that THWOOM of the ammunition getting shunted from the rails at near the speed of sound. It's aimed at seemingly a random spot on Poise's ride, but if it strikes it might hit an important energy line. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Aggressive. Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her BLOW IT ALL UP attack! -2 Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Breaker Railcannon": A Level 3 RANGED attack. Crusade's original plan had been to pin his foe down while he had the upper hand, but that plan falls apart when Shiftlock's armor... well, falls apart. He freezes, staring down at her exposed systems with wide, horror-stricken optics - and the tenuous calm he'd barely managed to grasp shatters. The rookie flings himself away from her as she transforms. While he's able to narrowly avoid being caught by Shiftlock's moving alt-plates, he winds up right beneath her wheels, then crushed under her weight as she rolls forwards. A wordless, panicked-sounding yell escapes him and he lashes out wildly, trying to drive the points of his armblades into her undercarriage. Combat: Crusade strikes Cybertronian Speeder with his Armblades attack! -2 Forge has arrived. Rumble pffts, snickering at Blast Off. "They paired you up with *Arcee*? Boy, you sure got the short end of THAT deal! They mighta rigged that so you didn't clean up with the gold medals. Cause 'fairness' or some like that." The blades hit home and Crusade is rewarded by energon and oil and hydraulics gushing down onto him, sparks from electricity flying from cut wires, and a dangerous choking of Shiftlock's engine. She HOWLS out her pain loudly, but she won't let it stop her. The pain is giving her clarity. The struggle is giving her focus. THIS is her zazen. "HOLD ON BABY, WE'RE GOIN' FOR A LITTLE RIDE!" she shouts, cackling with berserk glee, spinning her tires and forcing her engines to give her everything they have, as she tries to drag Crusade first /backwards/, then switch gears and rush over him a second time! Combat: Cybertronian Speeder sets her defense level to Fearless. Her shots failed to connect, stupid treeline. However two of the holotrees do crack and fall in the background as Poise races in past Zipline. Her HUD responds, alerting her to the targetting lock on the cycle. Using her superior speed and nimbleness, Poise hits that airbrake again, causing her hovercycle to whip around a tree, moments before Zipline sends the entire tree out after her. She suppresses a snicker at the close call, tree limbs whipping past her. That was what it all came down to, those close calls. She rockets out of the wooded area to the third part of the field, the plains area. Here it was just speed and lead that got victories, and that was something she was rather good at. "Come on, try to keep up." The Nebulan challenges her opponent, eyeing Crusade and Shiftlock in the distance, <> Meanwhile, her cannon keeps up it's tracking fire, except of course for when it'd hit across the driver's compartment... Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Zipline with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! Combat: Drained 8 energon. Combat: Cybertronian Speeder strikes Crusade with her Feeling A Little Run Down? attack! Combat: Cybertronian Speeder 's risky attack leaves her temporarily incapacitated! You send a radio message to Shiftlock: You need to switch up or something? You receive a radio message from Shiftlock: I ain't got much left in the tank, dunno how well that'll work for ya! You send a radio message to Shiftlock: hmm, my weapon is for solo targets...but I can cover you if you need a moment More of that chaingun fire ricochets all around Zipline. In close quarters, she has little chance to evade. They leave furrows in her armor, but a couple find places in the sensitive electronics of her railcannon. Something sparks, crackles, and some energon begins to leak out of some energy line. Looks like Poise got a lucky shot; that cannon might not be able to fire at full efficiency. Luckily, Zipline's legs are still functioning fully. Those paws hit the ground hard as the cheetah gives chase, trees whipping about past her, limbs narrowly smacking her in the face. When trees give way to plains though, that's when Zipline really opens up the speed. Energy lines down her legs glow as they draw power from her kinetic generator. The cheetah abruptly accelerates increadibly, coming right up behind Poise. "You're talking to the cat who almost beat Sideswipe in a race! You got nothing on me!" Abruptly, she lunges. Claws glow with distabalizing energy as she tries to sink them into the back hover-pad of Poise's ride. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: Zipline strikes Combat Hovercycle with her Hyperstatic Claws attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Hyperstatic Claws": A Level 2 MELEE attack. Combat: Critical Hit! Combat: You took 21 damage. Combat: That attack has slightly corrupted your Agility systems! Blast Off is again distracted watching... shenanigans down on the arena below, but returns to gaze upon Rumble and take a sip of wine. "Indeed. *Tell* me about it..." He shakes his head. "I do believe you're right... they just keep matching me with Autofools... probably a conspiracy to deny me the chance of winning more medals than anyone else. Yes, I am sure that is it... And this is Earth, after all. I'm sure they want the Autofools to win." He gives a curt nod of his head. Another sip, then he adds, "But no matter. I expect to win Gold on sharpshooting again, the Space Race if they hold one... again... and THIS year I expect my chances are looking quite favorable for the Full Combat." He looks down at Rumble. "What about you? No entries this year?" Crusade shudders as fluids splatter against his armor, spitting out a mouthful of Shiftlock's energon. It slowly dawns on him from very far away that he's probably inflicted some serious damage, but before he can withdraw his blades from whatever they've pierced, he's abruptly yanked backwards, doorwings grinding painfully against the ground. He struggles, trying to pull away from Shiftlock, but that sudden realization, along with rational thought, are swallowed in a blaze of pain as - once again - he's crushed beneath her wheels. Without thinking, Crusade attempts to remove himself from his current predicament, using the only method he can think of: by dragging his armblades' edges through her undercarriage, hopefully creating gaps in her components wide enough for him to wrench his blades free and escape. Combat: Crusade strikes Cybertronian Speeder with his This might get messy... attack! -2 Defcon has arrived. Well this time, Poise gets lit up from behind. Zipline rakes at her cycle as it roars past, and lands a savage blow on one of the hover generators. She twists to the side, grimacing as she tries to right the craft. "Urghh!" She heaves the cycle to the right, where Crusade and Shiftlock were paired up. The small Nebulan has to lean to the right to help right the craft. There was a small plan in motion here, and that savagery wasn't part of it. As Crusade frees himself from Shiftlock's weight, Poise is there and ready as she moves by. She draws her finger towards Crusade, using a simple sign to mark him as a target, and then fires as she moves past, turning aside as she goes, trying to out maneuver Zipline in the process. Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Crusade with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! Combat: Drained 8 energon. You send a radio message to Shiftlock: if my thrusters get hit again, I'll need to take a moment to recalibrate them! You receive a radio message from Shiftlock: I'm almost done for. ... Gonna... try to... get the kitty for ya... You send a radio message to Shiftlock: erm, that's...unfortunate Shiftlock is carved like a thanksgiving turkey. Crusade can free himself at last; the fembot is quiescent long enough to, having flipped over onto her side trying to run over the very large Autobot-shaped object. There is a horrible noise of grinding gears as she barely manages transformation -- at least enough that she can get an arm free and move it. Energon is pooling on the ground around her misshapen form. She giggles through a staticky vocoder. "Heeeere, kitty kitty kity...." She shoots in Zipline's general direction. The Cybertronian Speeder's main components extend from its central frame as it twists in the middle and rises up into a copper and black fembot. Combat: Shiftlock strikes Zipline with her Mangled Potshot attack! Cyclonus walks to one of the 'dignitary' VIP boxes overlooking the fight, escorted by a small, slender purple and black mech and a large green monstercon. Taking his seat, Cyclonus leans forward, resting his chin on his hands as he watches the fight. After a moment, he raises a finger to the black and purple mech. "Lash, record the battle. I want any usable data on Prime's new...chess pieces analyzed. Their movement strategies, their power levels." Lash nods, bowing low. "Of course, Lord Executer," she says quickly, and produces a data pad. Her optics click from green to red, recording. Cyclonus waves the larger green Decepticon. "Frightclaws, do you see this creature that wears the Autobrand?" He gestures towards Crusade. "He is a slave that has found a moment in the sun, playing at being a warrior. What do you think of that?" Frightclaws thinks hard for a moment, obviously nervous to be addressed. He glances at Lash, who gives him an urgent nod. "Frightclaws think...Frightclaws does not understand. We are what are. Frightclaws is a monster.... Frightclaws is a killer. How can a slave not be what is?" Cyclonus would look pleased, if his face was capable of the expression. "Indeed, Frightclaws. Our Noble Emperor has taught us that every Cybertronian has his place, his function. To believe otherwise is heretical." Rumble ponders. This sharpshooting event sounds kind of...hoity-toity, even for him. "Uhm...what do you shoot in sharpshootin'?" Rumble asks Blast Off, as if hoping maybe the answer is 'some random mech off the train'. "You're not going anywhere!" Zipline gets her paws back under her, and hydrolics tense as she lowers herself closer to the ground. She pushes off, quickly accelerating after Poise's hovercycle. "I'm not done showing off yet!" But then there's Shiftlock. Zipline's optics widen briefly, but more at the SIGHT of her rather than the fact that Shiftlock is there. "Eesh, uh, you got a few leaks going there, Shift-Hey!" Weapons fire rips up the ground around Zipline's paws. She strafes to the left, but not fast enough. It rips into her armor, and sends the little cat toppling head over paws. <> Zipline radios her partner quickly, <> The cheetah gets her paws underneath her, but she wobbles a little, as if she's losing strength in her legs. "You might want to get that leak looked at. Oh look, here's Crusade to help you with that!" She says to Shiftlock, before bolting - Running past the larger transformer and after Poise. The cannon on her back glows brightly, thrumming with energy despite the sparks coming from one of its panels. Zipline comes in close after Poise, trying to get in as close as she can. Then *TH-WHOOOM!* the cannon fires, and a spinning, armor ripping slug goes flying for Poise's hovercycle. Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her Close-Range RailBOOM! attack! -1 Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Breaker Railcannon": A Level 4 RANGED attack. Blast Off doesn't know anything about Crusade's background, he just knows he doesn't like the mech. At all. Also, the fool /actually claimed/ that Blast off couldn't hit anything except a wall. A BIG wall. The Combaticon sniper will SO ENJOY showing him just HOW WRONG he really is... but not today. Not the time or place, unfortunately. He looks back to Rumble. "Various things. Last year they brought out standard shooting targets, as well as live bats, for some reason..." He blinks at that memory. "But no matter- I am not the sniper of the Combaticons for no reason, after all.. and no one could beat my skills." (Bats random enough for ya, Rumble?) Crusade scrambles away from Shiftlock the moment he's free, but he ends up as a rather easy target for Poise as she zips past. Bullets thud into the armor covering his legs, piercing through to the servos beneath. He grits his teeth, biting back a pained cry - it hurts, but it's not enough to stop him - and forces himself to stand, ignoring the white-hot agony searing its way from his feet all the way up to his hip joints. He focuses on Poise, about to retrieve his damaged rifle from subspace and return fire. However, Shiftlock's voice catches his attention, even though her taunt is meant for Zipline and not him. He turns, just in time to witness the cheetah-bot being toppled by gunfire. And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Crusade forgets all about Poise and changes targets. Energon and fluids drip from his armblades as he advances unsteadily towards her. Once he is close enough, he dives at Shiftlock, trying to bury his blades into her damaged frame. Combat: Crusade strikes Shiftlock with his PROTECT THE CHEETAHS!!! attack! -1 Combat: Shiftlock falls to the ground, unconscious. Combat: Crusade's risky attack leaves him temporarily incapacitated! leans over her shoulder, looking back at Zipline. The great thing about that autocannon was that it really was automatic! She could have it fire reliably, and not even touch Shiftlock, while she focused on evasion. It was actually a rather sweet and simple setup. Poise again considers how if she had a little more space, another EDCer could use it in her stead...but upgrades were later. Zipline calls out to Poise, giving her that extra edge to help keep up her evasive action. "Hey, He's easier to hit!" It was true of course, and as Poise banks around again, she checks her equipment wear. Things were still good, the gun was starting to heat up though...but if she could drop one of the two of them, that'd make things so much easier. But whom to hit? Cyclonus sits back in his seat at Crusade shivs Shiftlock one final time. "Two killing blows in as many matches," he observes, stroking his chin, "You see? The spark of an arena slave, whose only primary function is survive to toil for the Empire another day. Not worthy of the Empire's branding, of course, but useful nonetheless." Shiftlock yells as the blades find their mark, and she'll be falling into stasis lock soon. What is left of her just smiles at Crusade, pleased at what he's done, even as her optics go from bright to back-lit in power conservation mode. "y' did good. Never. Stop. .... killing." Rumble stares up at Blast Off, looking as contemplative as he can look, which isn't particularly contemplative. "...Sounds kinda tame." And by tame, he probably means 'lame'. "But y'know what? I'll come watch if the Boss ain't got me down for somethin'." Combat Hovercycle leans over her shoulder, looking back at Zipline. The great thing about that autocannon was that it really was automatic! She could have it fire reliably, and not even touch Shiftlock, while she focused on evasion. It was actually a rather sweet and simple setup. Poise again considers how if she had a little more space, another EDCer could use it in her stead...but upgrades were later. Zipline calls out to Poise, giving her that extra edge to help keep up her evasive action. "Hey, He's easier to hit!" It was true of course, and as Poise banks around again, she checks her equipment wear. Things were still good, the gun was starting to heat up though...but if she could drop one of the two of them, that'd make things so much easier. But whom to hit? And then Shiftlock drops, leaving Crusade in a very actionable position. Her brow furrows, "Eat Bullets!" Both thumbs hit her killswitch, sending as many rounds as she can fire at Crusade in an act of opportunistic vengeance. Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Crusade with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! Combat: Drained 8 energon. Blast Off nods. "You can enjoy a celebratory toast with me after I win..." Well, no one ever said the shuttle's ego was little or anything.... Then he turns to watch again just as Shiftlock falls. Poise attacks, and the Combaticon continues watching them for a moment, then turns to the Cassetticon again. "And look, that fool femme couldn't even handle a match like this. Just like ARcee." He snorts derisively. "And now Shiftlock's teammate is left alone, as I was. I wonder, shall she be able to last even half as long as I?" He turns to find out. Zipline's optics widen slightly. She... missed? She pulled in so close to Poise, and yet the hovercycle was agile enough to avoid it. She'd be jealous, if she wasn't trying to win a match right about now. Zipline screetches to a stop, her body twisting around so that her the end of her cannon can follow Poise. Fast, but can she think ahead? Zipline shifts her aim to just in front of Poise. Her cannon whines as she draws on more energon to power it, the rails crackling with energy. It's no high velocity slug, but she still fires several burst of disrupting energy in Poise's path. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Aggressive. Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her Leading the target! (Disruptor) attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Disruptor": A Level 1 RANGED attack. Rumble snickers, and does a 'hover-perch' on Blast Off's shoulder, which is kind of the same thing as hoverhands, except in a tape's carse, it involves not actually making any contact with the shoulder in question. He just kind of hovers in place there, so Blast Off doesn't get twitchy about contact. Plus, it's a better vantage point than sitting in the stands, for sure. "They need their own league. The lame league!" Springer is still here, still listening and watching, judging. Cyclonus gestures to Blast Off and Rumble as Zipline misses Poise again, because they're sitting right next to each other because sure why not. "It borders the sinful, Combaticon, that you have not wiped that 'fool femme' and the rest of these pathetic circuit boards from reality." Crusade slumps forwards, his entire frame trembling. His armblades, buried deep in Shiftlock's chassis, are perhaps the only things keeping him from collapsing on top of her. He stares down at her, scalding-hot air rushing from his vents as his overheated systems attempt to cool themselves. "...Killing?" he echoes numbly, his voice thick with weariness. Then Shiftlock's optics go dark, and reality comes crashing down on him. There was a mangled, -dying- Cybertronian pinned beneath him. It was his blades, his hands, that had torn her apart. He hadn't done good. She was dying and it was all his fault. "NO!" he screams, retracting his armblades with so much force that their mechanisms grind in protest. "No! Don't die - please, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry - I didn't want to -" His incoherent flood of apologies ends with a sharp yelp as Poise's chaingun sends another volley of bullets shredding into his armor. He clutches at Shiftlock, as if it would somehow anchor her to the world of the living. Combat: Crusade takes extra time to steady himself. Pass Blast Off glances at Rumble suspiciously for a moment, but the Cassetticon knows him... very well, and without contact, the standoffish shuttleformer doesn't start getting huffy. He does raise an optic ridge, but simply replies, "Indeed." Then he blinks and turns his head to stare at Cyclonus. That goes on for a moment as he thinks over just what to say. "I...I am working on it. That foolish one,,, the one who just knocked the fool femme unconscious... well, he and I will..." He stops to stare at his (over)reaction as downing Shiftlock. "Well... he and I will fight soon, and... as you can see, it won't take me long to rid Cybertron of that VERY foolish creature." "TIMEOUT!" Poise calls out. She just opened fire on Crusade and the mech didn't seem to notice. With a look of concern she pulls up the cycle towards Crusade and Shiftlock, and then she does something unexpected. She actually leaves her hoverbike, "Hey...Hey!" She waves up to Crusade, a worried look on her face. "Come on..er Mech..." Poise spreads her hands wide, "Shiftlock's not dead, I mean heck, I'm using low-penetration yield here. It's..." She glances over to the very large Shiftlock next to her. "Look.." Her voice attempts a soothing tone, "Let's get her out of here and then we can move on, okay, if you're up for it?" The Global Pose Tracker marks that Combat Hovercycle has 'skipped' her action for this round. Poise hops off of her cycle, switching to be on foot. Rumble turns to look over at Cyclonus, somewhat surprised that he's decided to not only watch the match, but bring one of his menagerie of...pets...along with him. "How you s'posed to do that durin' a truce anyhow, Blast Off?" An innocent question, but actually geared toward getting him off the hook. > Zipline stares at Crusade, her jaw dropped. <> She backs this up with an image from her scanners. Not a medical scan, but enough to show that Shiftlock is just in stasis. <> "There's... no time outs in this thing," Zipline says, bringing a paw to flatten it over her muzzle. But Zipline? She's an opportunist. She's not about to let a good chance go by. Optics return to Poise's hovercycle, quickly scanning over it. There, another energy line. She quickly beams the information to Crusade who is much closer to Poise. <> Cyclonus bahs at Crusade's meltdown. "Not even worth the subservient programming in his systems. The slave can not even handle low yield exhibition combat." Glaring at Blast Off's bumbling response, he stares at the sniper for a moment. "It would be wise to gather your wits as befitting a commanding officer before addressing me again." Cyclonus just shakes his head at the disgusting display on the killing field. "And the weak will fade into the shadows, cast from Cybertron's destiny." Combat: Zipline analyzes Poise for weaknesses Crusade can exploit. Crusade's gaze travels slowly towards Poise. He isn't sure whether or not she's correct, and that Shiftlock isn't dead, but he nods and gently sets her back down on the ground. "I'm okay," he manages as he climbs to his feet. Mind over matter. He goes over Zipline's packet of information, and nods once. Wincing inwardly, he quickly pulls his rifle out of subspace, aims at the energy line indicated, and tries to fire off a quick shot at it. Combat: Crusade misses Poise with his Shooting the cycle not the rider! attack! Combat: Crusade (Crusade) used "Best Friend Rifle": A Level 4 RANGED attack. Blast Off looks at Rumble, then nods, finding himself appreciating the support. He knows he can use all that he can get against the upper echelons of Decepticon rank... who never quite seem to like Combaticons. Sheesh, try to assassinate their beloved leader in his previous form a few times and they NEVER FORGET. GAWD. Then Cyclonus speaks, and the Combaticon turns to look at him and try NOT show the unease he feels. He debates trying to come up with some reply, but Cyclonus's comment makes it sound as if perhaps the wisest thing to do would be to just remain silent. Which might be just as well. So he turns to watch the event. Though what was that about... Crusade being a ...slave? Lash looks up from recording the battle to Blast Off, almost sensing the question on his mind. "He was a slave." She shrugs. "It's in his tech specs." The look of surprise and sheer...betrayal crosses Poise's face. "You...SUCKERED ME?" Her mouth hangs open incredulously, "What is WITH you Autobots?" When Crusade gets a bead on her ride, she activates its homing beacon, sending it quickly up to her side, denying him the shot. She jumps back into it, "I can't believe it!" And now. It. Is. On. She revs her engine, and guns it, right towards Crusade's leg. "You JERKFACE, Doing anything for a win, I can't believe it!" The hovercycle gears up, launches forwards and goes to simply ram down the big mech with a sideswipe. Poise sents out a signal, her combat cycle roars up to her side in a moment's notice. Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Crusade with her Ram attack! Combat: You took 3 damage from that attack. Combat: You have foolishly damaged your own Velocity! Combat: Drained 5 energon. "FINALLY! Is the mushy gushy moment over now?" Zipline complains, her tail flicking behind her in irritation. The entire thing didn't make sense to her. Weren't they fighting to win here? "This isn't one of those daytime drama things, it's an arena match!" Hydrolics compress underneath her, and the cheetah bounds off forward. She looks shot up to heck, but at least her legs are still working well, carrying her swiftly across the plains. The cannon twists around on her back, and levels at Poise to fire out a quick, barely powered shell at the hovercycle. "You're the one who stopped! There's no time outs in this thing!" Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her Less pew more bang! (Pistol) attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Pistol": A Level 1 RANGED attack. Crusade cringes as Poise's hovercycle smashes into him, he loses his balance and falls over, winding up sprawled on his back. Falling hurt less than seeing the look on Poise's face, though. He'd received an order from Zipline, who outranked him, and he simply followed orders... Was that bad? Frustrated beyond words, exhausted and injured nearly to the point of collapse, he swings a fist at the hovercycle. Combat: Crusade misses Combat Hovercycle with his Punch attack! Combat: Crusade (Crusade) used "Punch": A Level 1 MELEE attack. Combat Hovercycle growls as the Autobots change gears from 'I just saw my best friend die' to 'Shoot the Nebulon!' She wheels around, muttering to herself. So new to the war and all of its problems, she was starting to see why some people didn't care for them. They were MANIPULATIVE. Well...these two might be, or confused. Either way, she shakes her head, as she brings the hovercycle up past Crusade, wheeling past him in a faster arc, using the damaged hoverengine to her advantage for the moment. Which puts Crusade just past her for Zipline's shot. No wonder it went wide. Crusade takes the swing at her as well as she spins the bike, and mercilessly goes to gun down Crusade in the back! Combat: Combat Hovercycle strikes Crusade with her Chain Gun Sidecar attack! -2 Combat: Drained 2 energon. Zipline's systems are failing. A lot of her internals are shot to slag, smoking, and generally not feeling very good at the moment. She needs to rethink her strategy, or else she's going to be out of this fast. Luckily the little cheetah bot, for as fragile as she might be, is still capable of running. Her legs are still moving at near full capacity. Her generator whirrs to life, sending extra power down through them to let them move faster and faster still. She angles around in a wide loop to take her straight at Poise's hovercycle. And straight past it at high speeds. But mid bound her claws come out, aiming a swipe at the hovercycle as she passes. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Zipline misses Combat Hovercycle with her Side-SWIPE! (Punch) attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Punch": A Level 1 MELEE attack. Crusade has to admit that it's a lot harder catching that hovercycle than it looks - or maybe it's the fact that it feels like half of his components have been replaced by bullets and pain. He takes another clumsy swing at Poise. It seems like she's focusing her efforts on him, he only hopes that Zipline will be able to finish the fight once he's out for the count. Combat: Crusade strikes Combat Hovercycle with his Armblades attack! -5 Combat: Crusade (Crusade) used "Armblades": A Level 1 MELEE attack. Combat: You took 15 damage. Combat: Crusade's attack has damaged your Agility! Blast Off blinks at looks over at Lash. Optics glint with something a little dark. "Is that so? Well..." He turns to look down at Crusade, who's just really NOT making friends down there right now. "That... explains a lot. He seems incredibly foolish... even FOR an Autofool. Now I know why." Optics narrow. "I'm surprised he's made it as long as he HAS..." Black fingers come up to tap at his faceplate througtfully. "Yes... explains a lot... Do you happen to know how he escaped and became an Autobot?" Normally, she'd love this, everyone firing at her, guns going off wildly, and her dodging like a maniac, Crusade gouges a deep slash into her cycle's side, enough that it goes through the hull, and comes Michael Bay Close to chest. The camera actually pans in to illustrate how close she got to taking personal damage. Poise gasps in surprise, and then the attack is done, and she's roaring again. Her engines wheeze as she tries to coax them to life, "Come on, Come on!" She rapidly starts to program in some auxilary system overrides, changing where her fuel mixture goes to provide some temporary relief to her cycle. Poise hops off of her cycle, switching to be on foot. Combat: Poise quickly recalibrates her internal systems. Combat: Drained 4 energon. Zipline doesn't miss a beat once her claws wiff Poise's hovercycle. Well, maybe part of a beat. The beat where she curses the hovercycle's surprising agility. She bounds ahead of the cycle, paws hitting the ground in rapid rhythem. Not slowing for an instant, she loops around to flank the cycle. Her claws slide out of their half-sheathed state, ripping the ground underneath them, leaving little furrows after paw-step she takes. And when she approaches the cycle from the side, she lunges, trying to sink them into the battered bike. Combat: Zipline sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: Zipline strikes Poise with her New scratching post! (Kick) attack! Combat: Zipline (Zipline) used "Kick": A Level 2 MELEE attack. Combat: You took 10 damage. Combat: Zipline's attack has damaged your Strength! Crusade just wants this ordeal over and done with. He clenches his hands into fists, knuckle joints creaking, and tries to knock the hovercycle over with a punch. Combat: Crusade strikes Poise with his Punch attack! Combat: Crusade (Crusade) used "Punch": A Level 1 MELEE attack. Combat: You took 12 damage. Combat: You are very aware that your life is in danger! Combat: Crusade's attack has damaged your Firepower! Poise 's bike gets knocked out from under her as she stands on the back of it, hoping to have gained a bit of her edge back. Unfortunately, that left her vulnerable, and the Bots work in unison, punishing her. Her foot catches on the edge of the cycle as Zipline kicks it, but it was Crusade's punch that flips her clear of it in full. Poise does a full double flip...well not a full flip, she gets knocked to the ground right on her head and neck, facedown. She raises her gloved hand for a moment, and then concussed and battered, vaguely makes the thumbs down gesture. Without her cycle, there was no way to continue the fight. She resigns.